Chapter 27

The Fourth Champion

Notes: Trigger Warning for Transphobia and Bigotry.

Lily wanted to sink into a hole and disappear in that moment as she heard her deadname called out, with whispers filling the hall. Lily was grateful as Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Lavender, and Parvati each moved slightly, trying to block Lily from view.

"Lily Potter!" Dumbledore called out, looking at the Gryffindor table. Lily could see Minerva at the top table, all colour drained from her face. "Come up here please, Lily," Dumbledore called out.

As Lily hesitated, Ginny took her hand and stood up with her, quickly followed by Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Lavender, and Parvati each stood with her. They walked with Lily to Dumbledore.

"Professor… that isn't my name… this isn't…" Lily stammered.

"I know Lily," Dumbledore said kindly. "Please, go through the door."

"Not without us," Ron said firmly. "We're not leaving her alone, at all."

"You want Lily, Professor, you'll have all of us," Hermione insisted. Dumbledore smiled at them.

"Your friendship does you great credit," Dumbledore said, as Minerva approached the group. "But I must ask you to remain here, please."

"I'll take Lily," Minerva interjected. The group looked at Lily, who nodded, before walking with Aunt Minnie through the door. As she walked down the stairs, the three champions – she didn't count herself as a champion – turned and faced her.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Cedric asked, seeing the look on her face.

"Do zey want us back?" Fleur asked, looking at her. Cedric approached Lily and Minerva.

"Lily, what is it?" Cedric asked, with Lily hearing the concern in his voice. Before she could answer, Ludo Bagman came down the stairs and into the room.

"What's going on?" Cedric demanded, looking at Dumbledore.

"Ladies and Gentleman, as incredible as it may seem, may I present the fourth Tri-Wizard champion," Bagman said. Fleur dismissed it as a joke, to which Bagman shook his head.

"No joke, Miss Delacour. Harry's name just came out of the Goblet," Bagman said. As despondent as Lily felt in that moment, she felt a surge of anger rise towards Bagman.

"But zair 'as been a mistake," Fleur commented. "She is too young, she cannot compete. And I thought 'er name was Lily?" Fleur cocked her head as she spoke.

"It is! This idiot doesn't seem to get that," Lily snapped, as Minerva held her hand.

"Now see here, young man, you can't…" Bagman started.

"I am not a boy; I am a girl, and my name is Lily!" Lily exclaimed loudly. Bagman looked annoyed, but before he could respond, there were raised voices coming down the stairs, with Dumbledore leading Professor's Moody and Snape, Mr. Crouch, Igor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime into the room. Fleur ran straight to Maxime.

"Madam Maxime, zey are saying zat zis little girl is to compete!" Fleur insisted. 'Who are you calling a little girl, you bimbo!' Lily thought angrily.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-Door?" Maxime asked, glaring at Dumbledore as Minerva stood to protect Lily.

"I'd like to know that myself," Karkaroff commented coldly. "Two Hogwarts Champions? I don't recall the host school being permitted two champions, or did I not read the rules carefully?" he asked, glaring at Lily.

"C'est impossible, 'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions, it is unjust," Maxime added.

"I thought your age line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore, or else we'd have brought a wider selection of students," Karkaroff accused.

"As if you'd have brought anyone but Mr. Krum," Minerva countered bitterly to Karkaroff, glaring angrily at the man.

"Lily, did you put your name into the fire?" Dumbledore asked calmly. Lily looked at him, understanding why he had asked the question.

"It wasn't my name that came out, and I'd never put any name into that damned thing," Lily replied.

"Your name is Harry Potter, isn't it?" Karkaroff demanded.

"No, it's Lily Potter!" Lily exclaimed loudly, her anger rising.

"Miss Potter has been using her new name since last year," Minerva said, her voice angry and shaky at the same time.

"Miss? Her? That is the Boy that lived, I thought," Karkaroff said bitterly.

"I'm Transgender! I was born male, but I'm actually female, okay?" Lily demanded. Madam Maxime looked at her strangely, as if studying her.

"How did you enter? Did you ask another student to enter your name?" Karkaroff accused.

"If I'd wanted to enter, I'd have used my real name, not my dead name!" Lily shouted, her emotions all over the place as Maxime was whispering something to Fleur. Lily didn't know what it was, but she saw a look of pity and sorrow on Fleur's face as she was nodding. "My old name," she added at the blank stares she got from Bagman, Karkaroff, Krum and Crouch.

"Barty, you're our objective judge here, surely you agree this can't be allowed," Minerva said, before looking at Lily. Crouch looked at Lily before speaking.

"We must follow the rules of the tournament. Any person whose name comes out of the Goblet is bound to enter," Crouch said, almost distantly.

"And since it wasn't my name, it doesn't matter," Lily said.

"It doesn't matter what nickname you've given yourself; you are Harry Potter, and your name came out of the Goblet," Bagman insisted. Lily wanted to reach for her wand, but to her surprise, Fleur gently grabbed her arm, shaking her head.

"Lass, as much as I hate to say it, your old name is still a part of you, and you'll be bound by the magic of the goblet," Moody said. Lily couldn't believe it; that couldn't be true, could it? Even the map knew her as Lily, so how could that even be true? She looked at Minerva, who looked as confused as Lily.

"How?" Lily whispered.

"I don't know," Minerva replied, as Karkaroff spoke up, loudly.

"Then we resubmit the names of our students until a second champion from each school is chosen. It's only fair!" Karkaroff insisted.

"Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that. The Goblet has gone out and won't be ignited again until the next tournament…" Bagman started.

"At which Durmstrang most assuredly won't be competing! After all our talks, I expected better. I'm half tempted to pull out and leave now!" Karkaroff snapped.

"Empty threat, Karkaroff," Moody snarled softly. "Now your champion's name has come out of the tournament, he has to compete. They all do. Convenient, isn't it?" Moody asked.

"I'm not following," Bagman commented, looking at Moody.

"Someone wanted Lily's name to be pulled from the Goblet, because by doing so, she would be bound by a magical contract," Moody said. "Someone powerful had to have done so. How else would a fourth name have been called? I'd think a powerful Confoundus charm to put the girl's name under a fourth school, to ensure she would be chosen."

"Someone who wanted to give Hogwarts two bites of the apple! A prize of a thousand galleons – it is an opportunity many would die for!" Karkaroff insisted.

"That's probably what someone wants!" Moody snapped. Everyone went silent, and Lily felt shocked to feel her hand being held by Fleur.

"Moody, old man, what a thing to say!" Bagman said, after a few moments.

"We know Moody sees conspiracy theories everywhere," Karkaroff said.

"If she had put 'er name in, she would not have used 'er deadname," Maxime said to everyone's astonishment.

"Madam Maxime, are you really buying this rubbish?" Karkaroff demanded bitterly. Maxime looked at Lily, and then at Karkaroff.

"I don't think zis is rubbish," Maxime said calmly. Karkaroff glared at them, before remaining silent. Bagman then looked at the four students.

He began to explain that the first task would test their courage, and they wouldn't be told anything until the day of the task, the twenty-fourth of November, and all they would be allowed was their wands. As soon as Bagman had explained everything, Karkaroff, Crouch and Bagman left the room, with Karkaroff escorting Krum.

"Madame Maxime, I appreciate your words," Minerva said, with a small smile. Lily could see Aunt Minnie was shaking, and she guessed it was from both fear and anger. Maxime looked at Lily, and then at Fleur.

"We know ze term transgender," Fleur told them, with a small smile. "We have several students who are transgender. Currently, we are trying to help them magically."

"You do?" Lily asked amazed. Fleur nodded and took Lily's hand.

"I'm sorry zat I dismissed you so quickly," Fleur said kindly.

"You should talk to Madam Pomfrey whilst you're here. This summer, she, and others, came up with a potion to help me transition," Lily said. Maxime smiled at her.

"Thank you, Miss Potter," Maxime said.

"Alastor, do you truly think that the magical contract will be binding? It pulled out Lily's deadname, not her true name. Hogwarts has magically recognised Lily as Lily," Minerva said, holding Lily's hand.

"I know, and to be honest, a part of me wishes that it wasn't the case. Unfortunately, if the Goblet didn't recognise Lily's deadname, it wouldn't have accepted it in the first place," Moody replied, a troubled look on his face.

"Unless it was magically enchanted to do so?" Lily asked hopefully. Moody shook his head sadly.

"I wish that was the case, lass. But that's not something that can be done, I'm sorry to say," Moody replied.

"So magically, I'm still Harry as well?" Lily asked, disgusted.

"I'll look into this more for you lass, and see what I can find out," Moody promised. "I won't let that keep happening."

"Thank you, professor," Lily said. Maxime placed a hand on Fleur's shoulder as she looked at Lily.

"I will do my best to find out more as well," Maxime promised. "Come, let us go Fleur."

"Can I… speak to Fleur and Cedric alone first?" Lily asked. Dumbledore looked at the others, all of whom nodded, and left the room, leaving Cedric, Fleur, and Lily alone. As the three of them stood there, flames crackling in the fireplace behind them, Lily took deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but failed as she broke down, falling to her knees and starting to cry.

Both Fleur and Cedric immediately rushed to her, embracing her gently, holding her as she wept, the weight of everything finally getting to her. She thought of everything Sirius had told her, of the dangers, and how this year was supposed to be a calm, quiet year. She thought of the world cup, of the flash of green light in her nightmares, of dreams where she lost her friends.

"Hey, it's okay," Cedric soothed. "It's going to be okay."

"How? People like Bagman refuse to use my actual name or treat me like a girl, apparently magically I'm also Harry when I know I'm Lily, I know there are rumours that I'm doing this whole thing for sick reasons, and now I'm having… to be in this… in this tournament where people have died! I don't know what I'm going to do," Lily wept, sniffing as she did.

She became aware of how both champions were gently stroking her back and holding her comfortingly. She could smell Fleur's sweet perfume, and how close Cedric was. She had wanted to say something else, but everything had finally broken through her barriers. She knew it was part of the treatment she was having, but this was not the time she wanted to unleash her emotions.

"Don't worry, Lily. I'm sure zat Cedric agrees with me when I say zat we will help you. You didn't want or ask for zis, and it is unfair zat they make you do it," Fleur told her, smiling kindly at her.

"Agreed," Cedric said, smiling as well. "We know you didn't do this Lily, especially since whoever did used your deadname. Whatever idiot did that… well, they can burn for all I care."

"You… you'll help me?" Lily asked. Both Fleur and Cedric nodded, smiling still.

"Of course we will. This may be a tournament, but we can work together, and we'll make sure you're okay," Cedric promised. "International cooperation and all that."

"I bet zat Karkaroff tells Krum to do any zing to beat us," Fleur added bitterly. "He is an idiot."

Lily couldn't help but giggle through her tears at the comment. "Thank you… both of you. I wanted to thank you… for supporting me there."

"Anytime Lily," Cedric replied. "Come on, let's get you to your common room; you need to get some sleep."

"Thank you," Lily said. Cedric and Fleur walked with her through the corridors of the school.

"I think we should meet once a week to train," Cedric suggested.

"Perhaps on ze weekend, when we don't have class?" Fleur recommended. Lily nodded.

"Makes sense. I know… my friends will want to help," Lily said.

"The more, the merrier," Cedric told her, as they neared the common room. "How about we start next Sunday? I'll find somewhere we can train together."

"I will be zair, just tell me where," Fleur said. Lily smiled and hugged both of them.

"Thank you, so much," she said softly. They nodded and watched as Lily went through the painting to the common room, before leaving.


As Lily was about to enter the common room, she could hear raised voices, and listened briefly.

"Of course he put his name in! He didn't want to risk anyone else beating him!" Cormac McLaggen snapped.

"Lily's not like that!" Angelina shouted back. "How many times do we have to tell you she hates all the attention, or are you just too thick to notice?"

"Sure he does," an unfamiliar female voice commented, putting emphasis on the 'he' part. "He put his name in, which proves he is only pretending to be a girl to spy on us."

"How twisted is your bloody mind?" Katie Bell snapped angrily. "Brains like that, you should be in Slytherin!"

"Lily has never been anything but respectful!" Lavender called out. "Of course, you're just too stupid and vain to care about anything other than yourself!"

"She," Hermione added angrily, "deserves better than to be called names by a twisted cow like yourself!"

Lily watched as the older girl went for her wand, as did most of the year. Lily drew her wand and set off a loud bang in the room as she came into view.

"How dare you!" Lily snapped angrily. "My name is Lily, and not Harry! Being Transgender is real, something you may be too stupid or bigoted to know, but at least people who matter do know! And how dare you say I want to spy on you! How have I ever done anything but help people?"

"Well said," a calm, yet very angry voice said from the doorway. McLaggen, the older girl and the students on their side immediately froze up, colour draining from their faces, as Minerva entered the common room. "Right now, I am absolutely disgusted with what I just heard! You are supposed to be setting an example for the school, and yet you can't even show the basic respect to your house mates? I will be having you removed as Head Girl, Miss Anderson, because clearly you can't be trusted with such a role. As for the rest of you, if even Madam Maxime and her students know about transgender people, and support Lily, then you are bringing great shame to Gryffindor House, and Hogwarts, by proving that you are worse than Muggles who are transphobic, and I will not tolerate it! All of you," she indicated the students that had been berating Lily, "Will be spending the next week with me in detention, where we will discuss respect!"

As everyone put their wands away, McLaggen and the others went to the dorm rooms, Lily slumped onto the sofa, tears still streaming down her face.

"Ignore those morons, Lily," Hermione said, as she and Ginny embraced her in a hug.

"Quite right, Miss Granger," Minerva said, sitting in the chair, as the others gathered round. "I was just speaking with Madam Maxime, and she and I both agree that this whole thing is… well, we doubt it is by chance your deadname was called, Lily."

"Who could have put her name in, Professor?" Katie asked, placing a hand on Lily's shoulder.

"We have no suspects, and the goblet will be thoroughly checked, but, assuming Professor Moody is right as to how they did it, if they're powerful enough to create a fourth school in the goblet's mind, they'll certainly have been able to wipe all traces of what they did," Minerva said. "I will be counting on all of you to assist Miss Potter, as faculty are forbidden to provide any help."

"Cedric and Fleur both agreed to help me," Lily said softly. "I… may have broken down in tears after we were alone," she confessed. Hermione and Ginny hugged her again as Minerva took her hand.

"There is no shame in that, Lily," Minerva said. "I will be making arrangements for your uncles to visit you tomorrow, given the situation. In the meantime, you should get some rest. It has been a trying evening."

"Yes, Aunt Minnie," Lily said softly. She smiled and hugged the older woman, before her dorm mates helped her get to their dorm.

"We'll be there, training with you Lily. We're never letting you down," Lavender promised.

"I… I don't know what I'd do without… without everyone," Lily said softly.

"You'll never need to worry about that," Hermione told her. As they all climbed into their beds, Lily closed her eyes, trying to forget the worries she had, if only for the night.


(August)

Pettigrew looked at the man on the floor and felt a brief wave of pity as he stood over him. The man wasn't dead, but he might as well be with what was happening. He looked on as Barty Crouch Junior was chanting with a wand pointed at his father. When he was finally finished, Crouch Senior left the house, heading to the office to work.

"I don't understand why we're going to all this trouble," Pettigrew said. "The name won't work, will it?"

"You don't need to understand. Not like you're intelligent enough to get it anyway, even if I did explain it to you," Barty replied, his tongue poking out every so often, much like a tic.

"Says the man who was forced to hide under an invisibility cloak by his own father," Pettigrew snapped back angrily.

"At least I wasn't hiding as a rat for all those years," Barty hissed, glaring at Pettigrew.

"Enough!" Voldemort's voice hissed over the two of them. "I have told you what will happen. You do not oppose; you carry out my orders!"

"Of… of course, my Lord, I would… would not think otherwise. I merely… would like to understand," Pettigrew said. "The School… knows her… Potter… as a girl, not as his old name. Sh… Potter won't be forced to compete," he knew that Lily was a girl, but he didn't want to make his master angry by questioning him or appearing to go against what he said.

"He won't be forced to compete, but that is why my loyal servant will be there, to ensure he does. I have planned this perfectly," Voldemort said. "I will not simper to Potter, just because he is delusional and believes himself to be a girl."

"Besides, Wormy, they'll ask me about the whole contract thing, and they'll believe every word I say. My disguise is much better than yours," Barty added, smirking. He then knelt in front of Voldemort. "My lord, I'm pleased to say that I've acquired enough Polyjuice potion to do what needs to be done."

"Excellent. I am gratified to have you by my side once more, my faithful servant," Voldemort hissed happily. He began to laugh before finishing his speech."Before the school term ends, Harry Potter will be dead, and I will be whole once more!"